The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1887-03-12
MINNEAPOLIS AND ST. PAUL. SATURDAY, MARCH r. 1887

Z, SATURDAY, MARC
cidentally inverted after the proof left
his hands which would make the date
1876. This would only make difference
of two years. He died in the year 493,
aged one hundred and twenty-five
years. Other authors say one hundred
and twenty years, but Keating and the
Four Masters are authors of indis
putable and unquestionable veracity.
All authors in point of fact must refer
to them to decide all questions of
ancient lore, especially in the Gaelic
tongue. Usher says st. Patrick lived
one hundred and twenty years, and
that he died in 49s. Colgan agrees as to
the year of his death, but places his
birth in 1913 on the 5th of April, differ
ing with Usher, who places it in 372, in
accordance with the chronicles of Flor
ence, Of Worcester. Some authorities,
lis Walsh says, assign st. Patrick
ninety-two years, others one hundred
and twenty-five, others one hundred
aud thirty-two, but he says one hundred
and twenty years became the favorite
number, as 1t best agreed with the
similarity which was sought, to be
found between st. Pasrick and Moses,
-as in four respects they were said to
be similar-both heard an angel speak
ing from bush; they both tasted forty
days ond forty nights; their years are
the same, viz, one hundred and twenty;
and their final resting places are un-
known. Baronius and Petavius were
of the opinion that the number Of
Probus was fixed originally at eighty
two instead of one hundred an thirty
two, and endeavored to explain the last
number as a mistake in the copyi>t.
This is what thought of Walsh's own
calculation, and yet he endeavors to
correct all the others when he says:
''The Bolandists adopting the above
correction undertook to determine the
times of our Saints birth and death,
but their calculations must be aban-
doned, as there is more of conjecture
and ingenuity than of solid argument,
founded on historical facts in their
chronological system. To Tillemont,
who had studied his subject with much
attention is due the merit of first point
ing out the true period Of St.. Patrick's
BIRTH" [ am quoting from the fourth
chapter of Walsh's Ecclesiastical His
.stessgsoff the Irish Church z and, -on page
Is this author gives statistical data
which convinces me that, as [ have
said, he has fallen into Typographical
error himself. Here he states tina St.
Patrick was forty-fve years old when
he was raised to the dignity of Bishop;
that was early in the year 432, or to-
ward the end of 431, and he then as
signed his birth to the year 387 lit
should be372, Heating and Mahoney.)
AS he was about sixteen years old when
he became captive, it consequently
happened in the year 403, and at that
time Mall of the Nine Hostages. King
of Ireland, was ravaging the coasts of
Britain, and was plunderlng the mari
time or seaboard districts of Gaul the
vicinity of Boulogne was the theatre Of
his lawless expedition; two hundred
natives among whom was st. Patrick,
became his prisoners and were detained
in captivity. They were sent in
triumph to Ireland, but the monarch
never revisited his native kingdom. st.
Patrick was sixty-one years a Bishop
and that would place his death in the
year 493, and make his age one hundred
and six years. Keating shows that St.
Patrick arrived in Ireland in the four
hundred and -thirty-frst year after the
birth of Christ that he was born in
Bonave, in Britain, France, near the
coast of Armorica, and not far from
Tours; that he was born in the year
three hundred and seventy, not three
hundred and Lightweight; and that ne
died in the year four hundred and
ninety two at the age Of one hundred
and twenty two years. These facts are
confirmed by the Four Masters and
other ancient authors, so that it is use
less for Butler, Walsh; the Nun OF Ken
mare, or any other modern antiquarian
author to dispute these facts, and Tom
Moore only made fool of himself
when he said that the Apostle died in
the wear four hundred and sixty y-fine, at
the age of seventy eight years, when we
have the following testimony from even
the Shannachie that composed the fol-
lowing rhyme:
'.since Christ was born (the reckoning clear,
Four hundred years had passed and ninety,
And two years beside, full told,
When died our chief Apostle, Patrick"
And another author testifes:
.s For three score years and one,
(Few are they that will not marveD
In Fri with many works,
Did Patrick live and preach the Gospel"
DOMNAHL MACCARTHAIGH,